Figure 2.

Metabolic ROS control is necessary to preserve HSC quiescence. Quiescent HSCs depend on glycolysis and exhibit low ROS level, whereas active HSCs instead increase proliferation and differentiation while switching to OXPHOS metabolism with high ROS production. ROS levels heavily influences HSC fate, thus antioxidant enzyme [SOD2, Mgst1, and NRF2] and redirection of cellular metabolism (fueling glucose metabolites into the PPP, instead of OXPHOS) maintain low the level of ROS in quiescent HSCs. HSC = hematopoietic stem cell; Mgst1 = microsomal glutathione transferase 1; NRF2 = nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; OXPHOS = oxidative phosphorylation; PPP = pentose phosphate pathway; ROS = reactive oxygen species ; SOD2 = superoxide dismutase.